SMA

Spinal Muscular Atrophy SMA

SMA, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, is a very rare, but serious genetic disease found in some Maine Coon lines. It is very important to know the status for your breeding cats. To be on the safe side, all our breeding animals are tested for the mutation.

Breeding – Arvegang og paringer

The mutation causing the disease is recessive

A carrier of the mutation is healthy and will not get SMA

A carrier can be used in breeding, mated to negative NN cats

Two carriers must never be mated

Only cats with the double gene (homozygous positive) will get ill. It means that a cat must inherit the mutation from both parents in order to get SMA. A carrier is a cat with only one copy of the mutation – heterozygous. A carrier is perfectly healthy, but should only be mated to a cat free (negative) of the mutation. That way the mutation will not be doubled, and we do not get SMA kittens.

Symptoms

SMA is a serious disorder.

Onset of clinical signs is observed between 15 and 17 weeks of age. Initial abnormalities are hind limb weakness and a fine generalized tremor. Affected kittens lose the ability to jump strongly by five months and walk thereafter with a sway of the hindquarters. Abnormal sensitivity to touch over the back, exercise intolerance, and labored breathing are variably observed. After an initial period of rapid loss of function, the progression of the disorder slows or plateaus with variable muscle atrophy, weakness and mobility. (from PawPeds)